Joel Embiid carries the Sixers past the Trail Blazers, 126-98, in the home opener
Embiid was listed as questionable before the game. He finished with game highs of 35 points, 15 rebounds, and six blocks.
Tyrese Maxey was the 76ers’ early-season version of him.
In basketball terms, calling a player him means he’s “that guy.” In slang terms, him stands for a dominant figure. And those were the best ways to describe the guard in the first two games.
While Maxey still stood out, he wasn’t as dominant in Sunday night’s 126-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the home opener at the Wells Fargo Center. But he didn’t need to be.
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Joel Embiid was the dominant figure in a game he almost didn’t play in.
The reigning MVP had been listed as questionable, possibly taking off the game to rest. But he worked out on the court after the team’s pregame walk-through and underwent tests before playing.
He finished with game highs of 35 points, 15 rebounds, and six blocks along with seven assists and two steals. Embiid has 69 points and eight blocks in the last two games.
“I’m trying to dominate, starting on defense,” he said.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse noted that Embiid will probably always be listed as questionable on back-to-backs. Embiid said there was no way he would have skipped this game.
“Third game of the season, home opener,” he said. ”I love playing in front of the fans. I don’t think I would have missed the first game of the season in Philly.”
Asked if he has a nagging injury, Embiid said no.
“He was super-dominating,” Nurse said. “All of it was really impressive. But the part I’m loving is he is protecting that rim.”
On Sunday, Embiid did most of his damage in the first half, posting 24 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and four blocks.
“We started off the game pretty well,” Embiid said. “I was trying to let the game come to me. And then in that second quarter, they went on a run. I came back in. I felt I had to be more aggressive, offensively and defensively.
“The key has been really to let the game come to me, not force it, and take what’s available, whether it’s finding my teammates or just being aggressive.”
The six-time All-Star was unstoppable, and feeling good about it. Embiid brought out the DX crotch chop celebration after scoring while being fouled with 2 minutes, 14 seconds left in the third quarter.
While dominant, he benefited from good spacing and constant movement from his teammates. That made it tough for the Blazers to draw a crowd around him.
Maxey finished with 26 points while making 4 of 8 three-pointers after scoring 31 and 34 points in the first two games. He added 10 rebounds and four assists for his first double-double of the season. Maxey played with numbness in his right hand after receiving a blow to the inside of his elbow.
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“But I think that I will be OK,” he said.
Tobias Harris added 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting. De’Anthony Melton had his best offensive performance of the season. The shooting guard finished with 12 points and a game-high eight assists.
The Sixers broke the game wide open in the third quarter, building a 23-point cushion. They finished with a season-high 17 blocks.
Shaedon Sharpe (20 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (18) paced the Blazers (0-3). Former Sixer Matisse Thybulle finished with two points.
This marked the Sixers’ second win in as many days and improved them to 2-1. The Sixers’ lone loss was a 118-117 decision to NBA title contender Milwaukee on the road.
The Sixers, who are playing without James Harden, have exceeded early expectations. There was a thought that they would struggle without Harden, who sat on the bench with his teammates. But the Sixers have exceeded expectations thanks to the dominant play by Maxey and Embiid.
The Sixers, however, were sluggish at the start of the game. A lot of that was the result of not getting to bed until around 4 a.m. Sunday. They were held up while going through customs on their return trip from Toronto.
They’ll get to rest the next couple of days.
The Sixers will have off on Monday after playing on back-to-back nights. They’ll practice on Tuesday and Wednesday before hosting the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. Thursday.